Preface
As Latter-day Saints, we believe that Jesus Christ is “the God of the whole earth” (3 Nephi 11:14). What then has been His role in the history of the world? To what extent have the Restoration of the gospel and the unfolding of world history been intertwined in His grand plan to prepare the world for His Second Coming? What can we learn about the divine role in providential history from ancient and modern revelation?
Providential history is an interpretation of history which takes into account the role of divine influence and intervention in the unfolding of human affairs. For Latter-day Saints, the origins and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are visible manifestations of the divine role in their history. Written largely for a Latter-day Saint audience, this study focuses on aspects of divine intervention in the wider panorama of historical development, generally treated in a purely secular manner, thereby developing a field of study which bridges the gap between the secular and the divine.
The thesis is that God, with divine foresight, has worked through human agents for the unfolding of His great plan of salvation for the human family. Because of insights from the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and latter-day revelation, Latter-day Saints have a unique contribution to make to the field of providential history. The canon of restoration scriptures, taken in conjunction with the Bible, and the words of inspired prophets and apostles provide the foundation for the further advancement of this field.
History can be written from many different perspectives, depending on the culture of the time and the interest and point of view of its authors.[1] As Edward Hallett Carr so elegantly stated a generation ago, history is “an unending dialog between the present and the past,” in which historians living in the present search the records of the past for answers to questions of current interest.[2] From the early Christian era through the Middle Ages until the eighteenth century, history in the Western World was mainly providential in nature in that it was written to include the divine role in historical development.
Reflecting the long-term secularization of western culture, the dominant trend in historical writing since the eighteenth century has been the secularization of history. There have been many variants, such as national history, whig history, economic determinism, intellectual history, history of science, social history and more recently women’s history and ethnic history—to mention but a few. In this environment, providential history has been reduced largely to the work of minority groups of ardent believers who continue to acknowledge the divine hand in historical development. Latter-day Saints are among those groups of believers who, in a secular world, are prone to ask the question—as I did in 1968 in a history course at Brigham Young University on the nature of historical writing across the ages—"What has been the divine role in history from a Latter-day Saint perspective?”
This book explores aspects of the divine role in the historical narrative from a Latter-day Saint perspective. While significant steps have been made in the writing of Latter-day Saint providential history since the time of Joseph Smith and the Restoration, it is a field which needs much further development as an area of research and study. Understanding the historical past from the divine perspective will provide awareness of the relationship between the secular and the divine in many aspects of history. It will provide insights into the world in which we live and a fuller appreciation of future events and conditions leading to the long-awaited Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In the October 1999 General Conference, President Gordon B. Hinckley urged that a fuller appreciation of the divine role in historical developments and “a sense of our place in history” would be of benefit to the Latter-day Saints, providing an enhanced sense of purpose to their actions.[3] Knowledge of the divine role in history will be of particular interest to returning missionaries who wish to make connections between the spiritual insights they have gleaned on their missions and the history of the world in which we live.[4]
Unlike other Christians, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in continuing revelation to modern-day prophets. This belief informs their entire world view, including their perception of historical events. For Latter-day Saints who consider the restoration of the gospel as a manifestation of divine intervention in the modern era, an examination of the role of God on the broader canvas of human history takes on new meaning and relevance. While many circumstances and events in history may suggest the interposition of divine providence, Latter-day Saints have the benefit of what the scriptures of the Restoration and modern prophets and apostles have affirmed on specific happenings and developments to provide important historical insights.
Latter-day Saint providential historians thus have several important advantages over providential historians of other persuasions. The restoration of the gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith and the subsequent development and growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provide a modern example of divine intervention in addition to that found in the Bible, the traditional Christian canon of scripture. The restored gospel provides new insight into the divine plan of God for the salvation of His children, beginning with an awareness of a pre-earthly existence, and, as a result, provides a broader understanding of the principle of agency and the conflict between good and evil in mortality, which frames much of human history. The enlarged scriptural canon found in the standard works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the statements of modern prophets and apostles provide many new insights into previous historical development and future events. In particular, they provide additional prophetic insight relating to the divine role in the unfolding of providential history from the time of the New Testament Apostles to the great wind-up scenes described in the book of Revelation, which are lacking in the theology of other providential historians.
Knowledge of the divine plan provides understanding on the need for divine intervention in bringing about the plan of salvation. Fuller understanding of many gospel principles helps provide a better framework for understanding when God will intervene in human affairs and when He will not. A further advantage is the legacy of continuing revelation, which holds within its scope the possibility of further enlightenment on the divine role with regard to times and places now only dimly sketched or not at all known, as these come into focus with the extension of the gospel over all the earth (see A of F 9; D&C 121:26-32; 101: 32-34).
This volume, which considers the role of God in key aspects of modern history in the light of modern revelation, is a second-generation volume on the topic and builds upon the foundation and amplifies the findings of its predecessor, Window of Faith: Latter-day Saint Perspectives on World History (2005).[5]
Laying the Foundation
As a pioneer study, Window of Faith: Latter-day Saint Perspectives on World History advanced an approach to world history for Latter-day Saints that acknowledges the hand of God in the historical process.[6] Largely the work of Brigham Young University (BYU) scholars, it approaches the unfolding of history within the perspective of Heavenly Father’s plan for the salvation of His children. Unlike secular history, which relies solely on empirical evidence, its authors draw on scriptural and prophetic statements as interpretative texts. The thesis of this earlier volume is that God, working through human agents, while respecting the agency of man, has shaped human history for the accomplishment of His divine purposes for the salvation of mankind (see Moses 1:39).
In the great work of salvation, chief among God’s purposes in the current era according to modern revelation are the restoration of the gospel and its spread to all the world in preparation for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (see D&C 1:1–23, 34–36; 65:1–6). The millennial reign will thus be ushered in and the great redemptive work of administering saving ordinances for the untold myriads who have lived on earth without a knowledge of the gospel will be accomplished. Ever respecting the agency of man, God has thus shaped the destinies of mankind to this end, for, as Moroni declared, “the eternal purposes of the Lord shall roll on, until all his promises shall be fulfilled” (Mormon 8:22).
Several major themes emerge in Windows of Faith by blending the history of the modern era with divine purposes. Latter-day prophets and apostles have long identified the divine hand at work in several aspects of Western history, such as the intellectual awakening and flowering of the arts in the Renaissance, the European discovery of America by Columbus, the religious renewal of the Reformation, the development of representative constitutional government and human rights in Britain, and the rise of freedom in America, to mention but a few. The rise of freedom in America and its enshrinement in the American Constitution have long been recognized as necessary steps in preparation for the restoration of the gospel.
But as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints extends its reach across more and more of the earth, broader global themes emerge. A theme of prime importance is the development of freedom in the Western World—in the United States, in particular, but also in other countries—and its spread in one form or another to the peoples of the earth, thus facilitating the preaching of the gospel worldwide. A second theme that has taken on greater importance is the unparalleled outpouring from heaven of scientific and technical knowledge in the modern era, which has blessed all of mankind and greatly accelerated the Lord’s work. Modern technology has provided systems of transportation and communication for a worldwide Church. Information technology has not only provided for the administration of a global Church but also for vastly expanded family history research and temple work. Modern communications technology has provided the means for the continuation of the work of the Church and for Church leaders, members and missionaries to remain interconnected, despite the restrictions related to the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.
A third major theme has been the rapid progress of the Church since 1945, allowing it to assume by degrees its worldwide mission of spreading the gospel “unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth” (D&C 65:2; Daniel 2:44–45). Following the turbulent events of the early twentieth century, the world has been prepared to receive the gospel by a variety of means in addition to the spread of freedom. Several of these, such as the rise of literacy, the amelioration of social and economic conditions, the intellectual preparation of the minds of the people and the improved image of the Church, have only been lightly touched upon in this volume and invite further exploration and discussion.
A fourth theme of considerable importance is that God works among all peoples, not just those of the covenant. In fulfillment of God’s ancient covenants, the gathering of the house of Israel, designated by President Russell M. Nelson as “the greatest cause and the greatest work on earth today,”[7] is being accomplished in its spiritual dimension as the work of the Lord’s Church progresses, while the literal gathering of the house of Israel continues to unfold. As God accomplishes His purposes among scattered Israel, His hand becomes more visible among the nations of the earth. Jesus Christ is the “God of the whole earth” (1 Nephi 11:14) and has not worked with just one people. As ancient and modern prophets have indicated, He has guided the destinies of all peoples and has given them light and knowledge as He has seen fit (see 2 Nephi 29:7; Alma 29:8). One may thus conclude that, while God’s intervention has not always been fully visible (especially to the unbelieving), He has played a decisive role in guiding the affairs of men. One of the key purposes of scripture is that we “might know concerning the doings of the Lord in other lands, among the people of old” (1 Nephi 19:22). This knowledge will strengthen our faith and provide a sense of order in a sometime chaotic world. At a time when “life’s perils thick confound us,” it is comforting to know that God is at the helm.
The volume concludes with the twentieth century and explores issues related to the two world wars and the Great Depression, the Holocaust, twentieth century ideologies, such as nationalism, Nazism and communism, and ends with a discussion of the accelerated growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since the Second World War. While the book has two chapters on technological developments--one on the discovery process and another on the role of scientific and technological discoveries in accelerating the spread of the gospel—the focus is largely historical with major emphasis on the divinely inspired rise and spread of freedom, preparatory to preaching the gospel worldwide. The volume reaffirms not only the restoration of the gospel as a manifestation of divine intervention in human affairs but also the subsequent history of the restored Church as visible manifestations of divine intervention.
Happily, although the initial print edition has sold out, Window of Faith: Latter-day Saint Perspectives on World History (a tome of 565 pages) is readily available online at https://rsc.byu.edu/book/window-faith Links have been set up from the “Table of Contents” for easy access to chapters of particular interest. As a foundational book on God’s role in history from the Latter-day Saint perspective, Window of Faith brings together many disparate elements of the discussion and treats in-depth the main themes summarized above. The reader is invited to become familiar with its contents for background to the current volume.
Moving Forward
The present volume, The Divine in the Historical Narrative: A Latter-day Saint Perspective, builds on the foundation of Window of Faith. It strengthens the scriptural foundation for providential history, as found in ancient and modern scripture. It discusses the divine role in various technological developments not treated in the first book and draws insights from the prophetic record on living in the last days. It also suggests an approach and method for writing Latter-day Saint providential history. Together, these two volumes strengthen the case for the further development of Latter-day Saint providential history as a field of inquiry.
In addition to placing Latter-day Saint providential history within the context of the Restoration, the current volume explores the implications of the plan of salvation, with all its ramifications for our understanding of the divine role in human affairs. It affirms the scriptures of the Restoration as the underpinning for Latter-day Saint providential history and underscores the crucial role of the Book of Mormon in identifying the divine role in many aspects of modern history. Moving from the theoretical to the concrete, this new volume has chapters which provide examples of the outpouring of scientific and technological knowledge in various fields since the Restoration, for the accomplishment of divine purposes. Bridging the gap between past, present and future, the book considers in the light of the prophetic record not only the blessings and challenges of living in the last days, but also the divine role in shaping future events leading to the Second Coming. The volume concludes with a discussion of possible approaches and methods for the further development of Latter-day Saint providential history as an academic discipline.
Analytical Framework
The text of the new volume is divided into four parts or sections, each of which discusses a major theme, providing additional insight to the previous volume. The four chapters in Part 1 suggest different contextual approaches for the study of Latter-day Saint providential history. In the lead chapter, Elder Merrill J. Bateman, emeritus seventy, former presiding bishop of the Church and former president of BYU, sets the stage in discussing the unprecedented economic development and technological advances associated within the “Dispensation of the Fulness of Times.” He underscores the Church’s rapid assimilation of new technology for the advancement of its purposes and the rise of conditions favorable to the spread of the gospel—all in preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In the next chapter, Richard O. Cowan, emeritus professor of Church history and doctrine at BYU and author of numerous books, and Craig James Ostler, also a BYU professor of Church history and doctrine, discuss the implications of the plan of salvation for Latter-day Saint providential history, particularly with regard to man’s pre-earthly existence and the nature of human agency. The birth, ministry and atonement of Jesus Christ are the greatest of all divine interventions. The authors point out, in addition, that, working for the salvation of His children in partnership with those whom he calls, God often works through other hands for the accomplishments of his purposes.
In the following chapter, Roy A. Prete, editor of the previous Window of Faith volume, writing from the point of view of faith in the Restoration, provides a thematic overview of examples of divine intervention in preparation for the Restoration of the gospel. He also gives an appraisal of the literature on Latter-day Saint providential history, discusses themes related to the spread of the gospel worldwide, and affirms the universality of divine involvement in human affairs. Then, contextualizing Latter-day Saint providential history within the field of other varieties of Christian providential history, Brian Q. Cannon, chair of the Department of History at BYU, former director of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies, and an expert on western American history, considers common themes in various kinds of Christian providential history and those within Mormon and Latter-day Saint providential history. His careful consideration of each underlines the tension between “faith and objectivity” common to all.
In Part 2, four chapters explore the scriptural underpinnings for providential history. In the first chapter, Scott C. Esplin, BYU professor of Church history and doctrine, draw on the entire canon of scripture to demonstrate the existence of God, and his multitudinous interventions in human affairs, reaffirming His ongoing interest and involvement in the unfolding history of the human family. All of the scriptures, he points out, have the extension of divine grace and divine influence in people’s lives as their core element. In the next chapter, LeRoy E. Whitehead, a long-term student of the scriptures, now retired from the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, anchors his discussion on the mission and Atonement of Jesus Christ, and explores the wide variety in the means of divine intervention—some small and some great—as detailed in the scriptures and statements of modern prophets. His prescient observations on how God intervenes invite much further reflection.
In the next chapter Roy A. Prete reflects on the foreknowledge of God as an instrument for the unfolding of the divine purpose—in spite of the contest between good and evil and the agency of man—with a particular focus on the period in time from Joseph of Old to the prophet Joseph Smith. A grand example is the Lord's providing for the coming forth of the Book of Mormon as an instrument to facilitate the great latter-day work. In last chapter in this section LeRoy E. Whitehead, reflecting on the various approaches of scriptural authors, discusses the standard works—the Latter-day Saints’ canon of scripture—as a potential guide and source of inspiration for providential history.
In Part 3, our appreciation of the divine role is enhanced in the practical application of scientific and technological developments in key areas not contained in the previous volume. While to human eyes these developments may appear secular, for God, to whom “all things. . . are spiritual” (D&C 29:34), they are an integral part of the divine role in human affairs. They are included here (in addition to the lead-off Bateman chapter) to buttress the treatment of technology in the first book, which had several chapters on historical development and the rise of freedom, but only two on technological development. Enlarging on the role of divine influence in technological and scientific discovery, Sherilyn Farnes, highly regarded for her work in Latter-day Saint Church history, details the contribution of new technologies, particularly transportation and information technology, to the fourfold mission of the Church. This chapter is followed by an eye-opening chapter by Rodney J. Brown, former dean of the College of Life Sciences at BYU, who traces the unprecedented developments in agriculture since the time of the Restoration with the affirmation that “the earth is full and to spare.” In the final chapter in this section, Dr. Donald B. Doty, an internationally renowned Latter-Day Saint heart surgeon, now deceased, explores the role of divinely inspired insight in the development of new techniques in cardiac surgery in his own experience and that of others.
Part 4 is innovative in that it bridges the gap between past, present and future, by examining the prophetic record from the time of Christ to where we now are—in the continuum leading up to the Second Coming. In the first chapter, Eric D. Huntsman, author of several books on the life, ministry and doctrines of Jesus Christ, draws on close study of New Testament texts and restoration scripture to point out the necessity of “Living the Life of Faith,” with reference to all time periods of the Christian era—past, present and future. As the grand final Dispensation of the Fullness of Times unfolds, this remains an all-compassing imperative. In a chapter on “The Last Days and Divine Providence,” Craig James Ostler draws on extended research for a previous book to illustrate how in the current age, with all its blessings and challenges, instances of divine intervention have been and will continue to be a significant component of prophesied events, which will unfold prior to the Second Coming. Both authors thus go beyond the traditional bounds of historical exploration to provide context for Latter-day Saints living in the last days. Living the life of faith and relying on divine intervention, so abundantly manifest in the history of the Latter-day Saints, offer reassurance on how to cope with current and future events.
The concluding chapter in the book by editor Roy A. Prete offers suggestions for “A Way Forward” in the development of Latter-day Saint providential history. Considering this field of inquiry within the wider historical acceptance of other faith-based approaches, he appraises current motivations for the development of Latter-day Saint providential history and suggests approaches and methodology for further advancement of the discipline as a field of study. The time is right for the development of the discipline, he affirms, given the worldwide reach of the Church, the growing global outlook of many Latter-day Saints, and the current focus of the Church leaders on preparing members of the Church for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Against the contextual backdrop of providential historians of other backgrounds, this new study and its predecessor underscore the possibilities for the further development of Latter-day Saint providential history as a legitimate discipline and field of inquiry. These two volumes, taken together, provide a wide range of supplemental readings for university courses in a Latter-day Saint setting, combining the secular and the divine; amplified with other materials, they may form the core material for a more senior university course in Latter-day Saint providential history. The current volume provides fourteen additional essays on diverse new subjects. As an ensemble, these studies offer a rich and varied body of material (with a choice of preferred topics) for university-level courses incorporating aspects of Latter-day providential history.
While this second book, like its predecessor, has been grounded in academic research, the chapters are sufficiently readable to be enjoyed by a general audience. Each chapter can be read as a stand-alone chapter or in conjunction with others in the development of common themes. That some of the same subject matter has been treated from different perspectives by individual authors has meant that there has been a certain amount of unavoidable overlap and repetition. While the two volumes have been placed in the context of the existing literature and scholarly discussion, the primary context has been that of the restored gospel and the outpouring of revealed knowledge through Joseph Smith and subsequent prophets. The fundamental task has been to apply revealed knowledge to a secular world setting. The authors make no attempt to prove that the restoration of the gospel is true; that, in fact, is their basic premise.
Acknowledgements
Several people must be recognized for their contribution to this volume. The several authors, who have drawn not only from their expertise in specialized fields, but also their depth of spiritual understanding, are to be warmly commended for their service. The editorial team, consisting of Brian Q. Cannon, LeRoy E. Whitehead, Richard O. Cowan and Craig James Ostler, has provided balance and direction and given insight on a number of issues. John W. Welch, now retired from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, has played a significant role in mentoring aspects of the project, particularly the focus on the scriptural underpinnings of Latter-day Saint providential history, and provided the inspiration for the editor’s chapter on divine foreknowledge. The critical scrutiny of reviewers has made this a better book. Brandon S. Plewe has provided the map of Latter-day Saint presence worldwide and the graph showing Latter-day Saint growth and distribution. I am very appreciative of the work of our daughter, Rebecca J. Doig, in designing and creating the website, godinhistory.org, which has facilitated the electronic publication of this work. Lastly, I am deeply indebted to my wife Carma for her reflections and insights on many of the issues discussed in this book and for her constant encouragement and support. This book is fondly dedicated to her in recognition of her contribution.
The ideas and opinions presented in this volume are solely those of its authors and are not the official views of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Roy A. Prete
Editor
(June 5, 2021)
Endnotes
[1] See Ernst Breisach, Historiography: Ancient, Medieval and Modern, 2nd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994), passim.
[2] Edward Hallett Carr, What is History? (London: Macmillan, 1961), 24.
[3] Gordon. B Hinckley, “At the Summit of the Ages” (General Conference, October 1999), https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1999/10/at-the-summit-of-the-ages?lang=eng
[4] In 2000, the section of the honors course in world history that I taught at BYU, entitled “The Secular and the Divine in World History since 1500,” was the first to fill up!
[5] Roy A. Prete, ed., Assoc. eds., Brian Q. Cannon, Richard O. Cowan, D. Mark Prescott, Craig J. Ostler, Window of Faith: Latter-day Saint Perspectives on World History (Provo, Utah: BYU Religious Studies Center, 2005).
[6] The following paragraphs, discussing approach and themes, are derived from “Preface,” Prete and others, Window of Faith, ix, x. These concepts are common to both volumes.
[7] Russell M. Nelson, “Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel,” (General Women ‘s Session of General Conference, October 2018) https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/10/sisters-participation-in-the-gathering-of-israel?lang=eng ; Russell M. Nelson, “Hope of Israel” (worldwide youth devotional, June 3, 2018), HopeofIsrael.lds.org;